Makin' Stuff Outta Paper

Paper. It's my new thing. I haven't had this much fun painting in a loooong time. How did this come about you ask? Let me tell you.

Every year, my job at the good ol' Saint Louis Science Center is to design the overall look for SciFest (a pretty cool 5 day science festival we host every year). The only problem is that the mascot we inherited for the event is this dumb doll head with these goofy glasses:
Luckily, I was able to talk the powers that be into letting me use my artistic genius to recreate the head every year in a different medium. (I actually work with pretty great folks who are really into letting creatives be creative - it didn't take much convincing.)

So last year I went with linoleum cut:


I hacked away until I got this:


Then I slopped ink all over it, and pressed it into paper to get this:

Which I scanned into the computer and cleaned up to get this:
Which ended up like this on the program cover which you may have seen last year in your Post Dispatch before you threw it in the garbage- I mean, the RECYCLE BIN:

But that was last year.

THIS YEAR, thanks to the last minute suggestion of my co-worker and opposer extraordinaire, John Schmitt, I went with paper.

The original sketch:

The crappy first version:
The mess in my apartment:
The knife wound that ruined any hopes I had for a hand modeling career:

The Final logo:

(click on picture to zoom in)

The final poster:

(click on picture to zoom in)

I'm really happy with how it turned out. All of the sleepless nights, caffeine-induced panic attacks and crying fits were well worth it.

Lots more to come concerning paper. Stay tuned. Right now we're working on a Paper-Cut commercial that I'll post when it's finished. And yes co-workers, it WILL get finished.

Want to know more about the greatness of paper? Check out these sites:
http://paperforest.blogspot.com/
http://onlycreative.com.au/carlos-meira/#more-1510
http://www.sublackwell.co.uk/
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/07/paper-artists.html
http://jaredandrewschorr.blogspot.com/

Personalized Pinata Portrait

Would you buy one? I'd like to think that you would.

What could be more fun than beating the tar out of someone you love until candy and cheap plastic toys explode out of their heads?

The Big Deal - Part 2

Part 2? Where's part 1? I'll tell you - it's saved in my drafts. It got a little bit deeper and introspective than I care to go publicly. A lot about the process, where I feel like I'm headed. Mush. Mush. Barf. Eyeroll. Not the me that you know. So, ON TO PART 2!!

As I was saying in Part 1 that you will never read, I had my first solo show in May. A Big Deal. One room. Twenty newish paintings. For those of you who couldn't make it in the five weeks that it was up, here's what you jerks missed:

As many of you know, I'm very sweet, loving, compassionate and HIGHLY irritable. I have a list of pet peeves a kilometer long and here is the start of a series inspired by them.

Get Behind Me Laugh-Talker - Not everyone minds it when someone is laughing so hard while telling a story that you can hardly make out what they are saying. Not everyone agrees that no story can ever be as funny as you build it up to be when you do that. Not everyone is highly annoyed when a story takes 3 times as long as it needs to when the teller is spitting and spewing and red-faced. But I do.

One of These Days.... - Oh, future husband. I apologize in advance for all the dirty looks you will receive from me anytime you are consuming food or drink within an earshot of me. Slurping, loud-swallowing, sucking and chewing - it's all like nails on a chalk board to me. It doesn't mean I don't love you the rest of the time.

The Demasculanization of Men - This issue goes far deeper than the physical primping, but I'll keep it light. So light that I won't even say more, because I'll just start ranting and making a bunch of pretty-boy lovers mad. There's room for all kinds in this big ol' world of ours... I guess.

Unlitterally - I believe you mean figuratively.

Waistlines are on the Rise, Right? - Thankfully, I believe this trend has passed it's peak, at least among the female population. You're next boys with your boxers out.

Can't Buy You Love - 'Cause it sold.

Amy At Last - If you are persistent enough with your "Paint me! And don't make me one of those ugly people." requests. Eventually, I'll paint you. Amy can testify.

Pessy Penguin - What goes better with a picture of Amy than a picture of Pat?

Another Butt.

Many Mini Flowers - I like making stuff that's just pretty sometimes. Mindlessly doodling one day I stumbled upon a technique that I LOVE. Apparently, craft paper, Sharpies & colored pencils are a magical combination.

A couple of birds.

Hold on to Your Ice Cream When Angels Start Falling From the Sky - This is one of my favorites that usually gets a "Meh" from (most) everyone else. It happened in one of those rare moments when I was just having fun and wasn't giving one thought to whether or not anyone else would like it. I need more of these moments.

Adam's Passivity in the Garden - Being a Christan (albeit a crappy one - but hey, that's the point, none of us will - WAIT - not now) is a monumental part of me. But I confess, I've always had trouble marrying the artist and the believer sides of myself. This was my first REAL attempt at biblical subject matter. I never touched it because it's so sacred to me and my style is anything but sacred. Humor and color. That's my thing. But, I think I've opened a door here. I can be funny AND colorful AND cynical AND make a serious personal statement!! Go me.

Jaws & Moby - Okay, so these were in another St. Louis show. I cheated. A little. But I'm proud of these guys, and I sold them in this show so it's fine. Money wins.

Hope you enjoyed. More to come.

I love you.